“Nunc lento sonitu dicunt, morieris.” 

This Latin epigraph translates, “Now, this bell tolling softly for another, says to me, Thou must die.” Beginning his sermon with this quote establishes key factors in his meditation: death and common humanity. The quote also introduces the bell, the most consistent symbol in the sermon.

“The church is catholic, universal, so are all her actions; all that she does, belongs to all.” 

Donne uses the word “catholic” in its secular sense, which is “all-embracing.” He underscores this clarification with the word “universal.” This introduces one of the themes of the meditation, which is the interconnectedness of all people, particularly those of the same church. He personifies the church through the gendered language “she”; this reflects the Christian tradition of the church as the metaphorical bride of Christ.

“God employs several translators.” 

This is a crucial aspect of the motif of God being the divine author of mortal lives. Just as people are written into life by God, so too are they translated into the afterlife. To effect this translation, God uses various means, such as old age, sickness, war, or execution.